Leeds Brudenell Social Club - 28 February 2013
The person who takes to the stage is not the same person who walked to the same microphone on 8 September 2011. This is true of anyone, of course, as time waits for no man and all that but there is a confidence in the gait and a sparkle in the eye of Caitlin Rose not visible on that date. The body language short circuits the connection with the audience, the smile of confidence says "WE are about to enjoy ourselves" - and we do - EVERYONE. Anyone who doesn't has something wrong with them, that is all.
Touted as the next Patsy Cline, Rose has shrugged off the weight of expectation, surrounded herself with top notch Nashville musicians and producers, exercised a canny instinct for song selection but, most important of all, remained herself. The full house tonight causes her to visibly inhale and exhale - in the States, she informs us - "no one knows who I am" - a small fish in a big pond. But the UK's thirst for Americana remains unquenched and from the opening bars of 'No One To Call' we're with her all the way on a trip through her new album 'The Stand-In' - a record she has referred to as her 'high kick'. More radio friendly, it's a natural stab at success, a set of songs aimed at taking her to that next level.
This is country rock at its purest. A maligned genre associated with the coke-addled excesses of The Eagles, Rose strips it down to its roots with songs of personal headonism and then, regret ('Waitin'). Let's just forget for one moment she is 25 years old, there is a ring of authenticity that originates from her multi-textured voice, a thing of power then of fragility, very often separated by mere seconds ('Sinful Wishing Well'). Although her band is rehearsed to the hilt and tightly regimented within the confines of the lean arrangements there is thrilling interplay between electric and pedal steel guitars ('Old Numbers').
A belligerent closing 'Shanghai Cigarettes' allows Rose to make that leap from Patsy Cline to Stevie Nicks - she makes it seem natural and easy and her between-song banter is modest and spontaneous. Her stage craft, like her voice, seems to stem from a place of genuine authenticity.
A couple of acoustic numbers (including " Too Stoned To Cry" taken by guitarist and songwriter Andrew Combs), a rabbler-rousing encore and she's done. I'd had a depressing experience the previous night from an artist who seemingly thought it was our privilege to be there. Caitlin Rose is the real deal who understands that her privilege is to share her gift with as many people as possible. For the 500 or so in Leeds, it may have been her privilege but it was OUR pleasure.
